Heart and Key
by MPF0220
Summary: -'Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.' I never thought I'd be in on an adventure like this, not in a million years. But now is the night, the moment...My imagination longed for adventure, my mind for ideas, and my heart...for someone.
1. This is Just the Beginning

The sun, with her fading glory, sank down below the horizon to allow the pale, sphere of a strong, white light shine and hang high in the sky with a bewildering glow. The sun's golden tips; her shades of orange bright as mango's skin; the clouds with their rosy pink tints and soft, purple shades.

It was no wonder the sun was considered a beauty. She was gorgeous, the sun, with her own light of power; she beamed with pride and joy. Until it came to that time when she withdrew from the sky to show on the other side while her companion, the moon, took over the shift.

I let my eyes flutter open slowly until I saw but tiny slivers of light coming from above my head. I looked up to see small pores in whatever was holding me captive.

I stretched out both my arms until my hands came across a hard, cold surface that seemed a lot like a wooded texture. I peered up again and reached, picking at the teeny openings until I got annoyed enough to just kick angrily out of aggravation, and hearing a loud _crack_. It appears as though my kick had been just enough to make a small, dented out wound. I pushed my foot out ferociously and made a decent sized hole. I kneeled down to the hole, gathering my faded blood-red Victorian gown in order for me to get closer to the opening. I peeked outside and let my jaw drop slightly.

I pondered the thought of where I could possibly be, looking around to see other boxes and wrappings of some sort.

_Alright, _I thought to myself, seeing if I could pry some more wood away with my hands, _let's get going._

I scurried along the sides of the wall, getting closer and closer to the unknown.

I had no idea what I was going to find, but I hoped it wasn't going to get me into trouble; whatever it was that I managed to discover.

I immediately stopped and paused for a moment when I heard voices. They were muffled, but I could still sense that I'm not alone wherever I am.

I moved forward, pressing my back against the wall until I saw an odd lighting coming from around the corner. I inched closer, being cautious, then took a quick glance inside.

What I saw was beyond what I had wondered about finding. A large room with antiques everywhere, but right there, smack dab in the middle, was a skeleton bulging out from a large, stone, gate-like statue. In the center of the skeleton I noticed there were bits and pieces of something golden.

As I looked around some more, I spotted three men sitting around, and while I scanned the room, there were other men dressed in three variations of the men I had seen sitting throughout the room. One, I noted, was cleaning off his gun with a cloth. The second thing I saw about him that was odd is the fact that he was monochromatic; shades of black, white, and gray were what made him different from the other brightly uniformed men in blue, red, and white. I peered on over until I came across a man with a long robe of silver and fingers bedazzled with rings of jewels as well as his hat which had even more. He carried a large staff, I also saw. My eyes wandered from the last man I saw to the first. He was now examining his gun, and then he stood and looked at his men, nodded, then began to hustle over to the door where I was peering in.

I drew back quickly and started to run, gathering up my dress to my knees so I could sprint; even if I was in black, scallop laced boots. I dodged behind a crate and breathing heavily, I dared not move. For if they were to find me…I couldn't even think of where they'd start.

I heard the heavy, shuffling footsteps pass by me, and I kept still as statues do. Until the moment I heard them fade off into the distance, I didn't twitch a muscle. I hid there, behind that crate; till I bet they couldn't see me nor hear me.

I looked around from behind the massive, wooden structure. No monochromatic men were present. I let out a soft sigh of relief and stepped down from the tiny platform on which the crate and many others were mounted upon.

Releasing my dress from my now cold, clammy hands, I fixed it and made sure it looked nice again. I began to wander around to the direction the men had been walking towards. Perhaps I could find a way out of this strange place if I knew where they were headed.

I hurried my legs to go faster so I could find an escape; I decided to clench my dress and pull it above to my mid shins so I could pace faster and maybe even jog, going past many wooden structures until I came upon a large crate, bigger than any of the ones I'd seen so far, in the middle of this wide, confusing maze of a place.

I sauntered on over to it, and releasing the gather of my dress from my right hand, I flipped up one of the lock switches, then walked on over to flip up the other one when I heard a demanding voice from behind me. I paused for a moment before whirling around to see the monochromatic men from earlier.

_You can't be serious! _

My eyes went from the leader of the pack to the gun, then back to the leader.

He spoke in a loud voice, and from what I heard him say I believed that he was indeed Italian from noting the way he spoke and pronounced his words.

"Step away from the crate, and you won't get shot,"

I peeked behind me back at the crate, then quickly to the leader once more.

I panicked as he raised his gun to me, taking long strides towards me.

"I'll give you to the count of three. One…two…"

Before he could spit out the last number I flipped the last lock switch up and bolted to the side.

To my surprise a large creature broke free and went rampaging about. It was a giant octopus, and with its raging tentacles picked up the men, throwing them here and there. I ducked someone who almost knocked me, and tried to run until I felt something strong wrap around my waist.

I let out a small gasp as I was lifted into the air and now nearly face-to-face with the gigantic beast.

I swallowed hard and stared it straight in the eye. I noticed it seemed rather more desperate and a bit aggravated than pure evil. It brought me up closer to its eye so it could see me full-on.

I managed to get both my arms free from its grasp after a few moments while the other men down below were being tossed around. Not wanting to get on the creature's bad side, I rubbed my left hand back and forth on the outstretched tentacle that held me.

"Hello," I squeaked, then managed to regain some focus and strategic ways of thinking, "What's the matter? A little dry, aren't you? Would you like some water?"

I spoke softly so that I would not be heard by the monochromatic men who were shouting at each other and trying to escape.

The octopus made a small screeching sound, then wavered it's tentacle a little before loosening its grip around me.

"Would you like me to find you some water? Is that it?" I cooed and kept stroking the poor thing.

I was finally lowered back down to the ground and I turned to walk away with the giant octopus following right behind.

I could feel the awed stares from the men as I walked on by with the creature behind me.

"Where do you think you're goin'?"

I stopped and turned to my right to see the leader just now standing up, grabbing his gun, and raising it at me like he had done before.

I stared him straight in the eye and took three major steps towards him

"I'm going to get this poor creature some water," I said defensively, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I do, actually," he replied, now his turn to take three giant strides towards me, now almost five feet away.

"Well, _too bad_!" I spat out at him and continued to walk on with the creature following me again.

That's when I heard a set of two feet and their shuffling noises quickening until I felt a firm hand grab my forearm and pull me aside.

"Let's go, fellas," the leader commanded his followers in a hurried tone.

We all entered the large room in which I had peeped in upon earlier and the other men saw us come in.

The shorter man was the first to immediately turn and see me.

"Qui est elle?" he shouted in what I guessed is French.

"I found this little sneak lurkin' around," the man holding me by my arm spoke while taking a few steps and pulling me forward.

"I was _not_ lurking around," I corrected, "I was keeping as far away from you as possible."

"Well, you didn't succeed," he shot back, giving me a serious glare.

I glared back.

The one in the fancy silver getup was the last to swirl to face us and notice that his friend had caught me "lurkin' around".

"Who is this?" he demanded to know in his thick Russian accent, arching an eyebrow at me.

"This is—" the monochromatic man began until I cut him off.

"My name is Mary Pickford," I butted in.

"Alright then," my capturer spoke in an annoyed tone, "so, what were you doin' lurkin' around?"

"I was trying to find a way out of here," I explained and let out an aggravated sigh.

"Well, you ain't gettin' out."

"_Watch me!" _I shouted at him as I pounded down my boot upon his dressy black shoe and broke free ready to sprint out of the room.

I picked up some gathers of my dress and ran out and around the giant maze until I came upon a door with a glowing red sign above it.

_EXIT_.

I burst out the door and kept on running; I went up a pair of stairs and came upon a huge statue of a man sitting in a chair.

I heard voices and hollers so I ducked behind one of the giant columns, breathing heavily.

I could feel my heart skip a beat as I heard loud, shuffling feet come up the stairs at a quickening pace.

I dared not move, only close my eyes tightly and pray that whoever was going to discover me did not.

A long moment of fear and desperation hung in the air as though it didn't plan on ending anytime soon.

I didn't hear anything at that time, and slowly I opened my eyes.

I stifled a yell for help as I stared into a pair of dark, pitch-black eyes. It did not take me yet another second to realize who it was.

Still staring me straight in the eye, he then reached out in one swift movement, grabbing my right wrist with one hand and putting the other over my mouth at the same time.

"Don't scream." He commanded in a whisper, "If I release you, you're gonna come with me. Unless…"

He paused.

"…you want to be held captive and then later on killed."

I shook my head franticly and he slowly took his hand off my mouth.

"Now stay quiet,"

I nodded as he dragged me by my wrist down the stairs and back into the maze place. I had a bad feeling that he was up to no good…


	2. The Escape

As we made our way back to the room from which I had first seen my capturer, I pulled my arm free and he turned to face me.

"I have a right to know your name, y'know," I demanded.

"Alright, whatever," he told me, "The name's Capone. Al Capone."

"I see…" I muttered, "So, what exactly are you going to do now that you have me held captive? Boss me around? Lock me up? Kill me?"

"I might the rate you're goin'," he mumbled while turning away from me, and walking around like he was, I guessed he was looking for his gun.

I let my eyes wander around the room until I saw it lying by a pile of gathered antiques.

I strolled on over to it, and picking it up, I announced loudly to Mr. Capone,

"Looking for something?"

Before I knew it he was already speed walking over to where I was.

"Yeah, now hand it over—" he lunged out an aggressive hand for his gun, but I backed up away from him.

"Not so fast, Mr. Capone," I declared, "Give me one good reason why I should hand you your gun."

"Yeah, I got one," he said in an annoyed way, then stated in a very serious tone while shifting his weight from one foot to the other, "If you don't give me my gun, I'm gonna make sure you get thrown in a crate that'll be locked up so you can't get out. How does that sound?"

I also shifted my weight, feeling uneasy, but then lowered the gun and glared at Mr. Capone, shoving it at him.

"Here's your precious little gun," I grumbled and avoided making eye contact.

Without saying "thank you" he hurried out of the room, leaving me by myself until I decided to follow him and find out where exactly he was headed to.

I managed to catch up with him in a few seconds and was now by his side. He didn't bother to make eye contact with me, which was perfectly fine.

"Where exactly _are _you going, Mr. Capone?" I questioned.

"I'm gettin' outta here, that's where I'm goin'," he spoke, obviously aggravated and bothered by just my presence.

"You _can't_ be serious…_Are you_?" I hid my shock but glanced at him with a confused expression.

"Yeah, I'm serious." He hissed, giving me an annoyed stare, and then continued walking, going this way and that throughout the maze of crates.

I continued to stay hot on his trail so I wouldn't lose him, going everywhere he went so I could possibly escape and get out of here as well.

Mr. Capone stopped suddenly and spun around to face me.

"What do you think you're doin'?" he demanded to know as he gave me a cold glare.

"I'm coming with you," I boldly replied, and then walked on without him until he caught up with me.

"No, you're not," he began, "You're not gonna come with me."

"Oh well," I shot back before dodging to the left and finding the exit door once again. "Here's our way out!"

"What do you mean '_our'_? You're stayin' here!" he nearly shouted, putting a firm hand on my shoulder and spinning me around before I could reach the door that was only a few feet away now. "I work alone, so you can just deal with it and move on."

With that last comment he brushed past me and burst out the exit door, leaving me once more by myself.

I don't know why I get the feeling that he doesn't want me to tag along, but I continued to ignore it like I had before and snuck out the exit door, then quickly caught up with Mr. Capone again.

"Surprise!" I popped up by his side, and seeing that he was indeed startled, it almost gave me a reason to avoid eye contact. I looked at him with a stern glare while he just stared at me with a blank expression. That expression quickly turned to one of anger.

"_Why_ do you have to follow me?" he wondered in an angry tone of voice.

"Because I can,"

"That's not a good enough reason, try again."

I let out a sigh that signaled my annoyance, and then said,

"Because I want _in_,"

"In? In on _what_?"

"The plan, the escape…the adventure. I want in on all of that."

I gave him a pleading look, while he just turned away and strode along the sidewalk ignoring me.

"Please…" I whispered pleadingly, but loud enough so that he would fall for my trap and let me in on everything.

He paused for a moment, shifting his weight from one foot to the other like he had done earlier.

I nearly felt my heart skip another beat at the high hope that I would finally get to be in on adventure.

He turned and faced me, almost as if thinking of whether to go with his decision or not, then hustled over to me and gave me a mean glare.

"If you get in trouble, it ain't my fault,"

"Alright," I piped up, almost letting my joy show, but then contained it within and to myself only.

"C'mon, let's go," he rushed off in a hurry; leaving me behind until I picked up some gathers of my dress and then ran to keep up.


End file.
